The nearly everyday nature of baseball can be both a blessing and a curse. When a team is struggling, it can be difficult to get out of a funk as the games keep coming with very little time to rest. But sometimes there's nothing better than getting the chance to redeem yourself after things go sour.
Notre Dame baseball is hoping the latter applies to it, at least in terms of ACC play. The Irish haven't beaten a conference foe in almost a month, losing 10 straight ACC contests dating back to March 24. They're just 2-16 in the conference this year, having been swept in five of six series.
Regardless, they'll be right back on the saddle this weekend at Frank Eck Stadium as the Boston College Eagles come to town. The Eagles aren't a bad team, sitting at 20-16 but leading only the Irish in the six-team ACC Atlantic Division at 7-11 in conference action. They did take two of three from the Irish a year ago, including winning the series finale at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. But they aren't at the level of Notre Dame's last two weekend foes, No. 6 Clemson and No. 11 North Carolina, who outscored the Irish by a combined margin of 53-22.
The Eagles enter the series 3-2 in their last five games, although they have lost their last two ACC series, also facing elite teams in No. 8 Florida State and No. 12 Wake Forest. They aren't a particularly intimidating foe on either side of the ball, ranking 10th in the conference in runs scored and 13th in earned run average. They're a small team, prioritizing defense (.978 fielding percentage, fifth in the ACC) and speed (68 stolen bases, second in the conference) to help them win games.
On offense, four Eagles regulars sport an OPS over .950. Cameron Leary is one of the best dual-threats on offense in the country, leading the team with 12 home runs and 18 stolen bases, having only been caught once. Kyle Wolff is also a power threat, trailing Leary with seven homers and leading the Eagles with 40 runs batted in. Patrick Roche and Cam Caraher are among the Eagles that love to run, each already hitting double digits in steals. They will present a challenge for an Irish catching department that is last in the conference at throwing out runners (12.5%), although they have been a little better as of late.
The Irish and Boston College face off on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games are available to watch on ACC Network Extra.
